ATLANTA (AP) — A man opened fire in the waiting room of an Atlanta medical facility on Wednesday, killing a woman and injuring four others, police said.

Shortly after noon, police were called to the Northside Medical Building on West Peachtree Street, a commercial district lined with office towers and high-rise apartments.

Atlanta police said the suspect was believed to be Dion Patterson, who was believed to be armed and dangerous. I asked anyone who had one to call 911 to stay away from him.

Atlanta Police Chief Darin Sherbaum told reporters that a 39-year-old woman died at the scene. Her four victims who were also injured were women aged 25, 39, 56 and 71.

Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens said at a press conference that these four were “fighting for their lives at Grady Hospital.”

Four hours after the shooting, police said they believed Patterson had left the area. They lifted the shelter-in-place order but asked people to stay away from the area due to an active investigation.

“This is a very aggressive investigation,” said Schierbaum. “We’re following up on credible clues that are currently active in Cobb County and some here in the city.”

Atlanta police said they were aware of a carjacking incident shortly after the shooting a few blocks away. They said the vehicle was recovered in suburban Cobb County and they are working to determine if the vehicle is related to the shooting.

Schierbaum added that Patterson’s family has been “cooperative” with investigators.

In a statement, the U.S. Coast Guard said Patterson entered service in 2018 and was discharged from active duty in January.

Crime Stoppers offered rewards of up to $10,000 for information leading to the arrest and prosecution of suspects.

Shootings are happening in cities across the United States. Gun violence and mass shootings will occur in 2023.

Shortly after the shooting, Georgia Senator Rafael Warnock took to the Senate floor to condemn gun violence and urge his colleagues to push forward with gun control reform.

“There have been so many mass shootings and, tragically, we are acting as if this is the norm,” Warnock said in his 12-minute speech. “We act like this is normal. It’s not normal.”

The Atlanta pastor added:

The story was modified to show that one of the surviving victims was 39 instead of 29.

Associated Press writers Kate Blumback of Atlanta and Tara Copp of Washington contributed to this report.

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